Page 271 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

2048 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

value systems, religion, education, and sexuality all, Access—be it physical access to certain spaces or
vary with gender among cultures and over time to dif- immaterial access to certain prerogatives such as educa-
ferent degrees. A good example may be the gendered tion or political power—is another concept that may be
effects of twentieth century population policies. While useful for women’s and gender history. Why was
men and women alike were preoccupied with the fam- women’s access to public spaces and even physical mobil-
ily economy and the future of the nation, women expe- ity more limited than men’s, and why and how did this
rienced population policies on their own bodies. vary with social standing and among cultures? The his-
Technological and economic changes, such as the indus- tory of physical barriers, such as foot-binding, zenanas,
trial revolution, built on the existence of a gendered and harems, as well as of the morally grounded limits to
labor force and offered cheap routine female and male women’s mobility includes a gendered understanding of
labor as well as more expensive specialised, exclusively access. Needless to say, educational and political systems
male labor. were moulded in the same perception of gendered
The formation of nation states and national identities spaces. Why did some groups of both men and women
also included women and men in different ways, bur- struggle to continue such traditions, while others fought
dening men with military protection, national expansion, to eliminate them?
and the economic success of the nation, and women with Special consideration may be given to the under-
generational reproduction and the social upbringing of standing of identity. Joggling gender, class, caste, ethnic-
new members of the nation.While preindustrial societies ity, and nationality may seem to dissolve personal
sometimes lent women political power through family identity. But analyzing situations where several identities
connections, for a long time modernizing democratic are at play, the historian may ask what prompts one of
states allocated such power only to men. Regardless of them to take precedence over the others.Why would an
class, ethnicity, or skin color, with very few exceptions individual at times act mainly as a woman, at other times
women were the last group to obtain suffrage. Religious mainly as a member of a certain social group or of a spe-
systems and other ideologies throughout time have con- cific nation? How did gender influence class identity and
tributed in various ways to uphold gender differences and how did caste identity vary with gender?
gendered power relations. In short, rethinking a number of concepts indispensa-
ble to historical analysis will bring forward a new and
Reconsidering more varied knowledge of global human experiences.
Central Concepts
Gender analysis leads to the reconsideration of central Cross-Cultural
concepts.The widely accepted definition of work as paid Interactions
work in the public sphere will need to be revised in order Gender played an important role in the meeting of dif-
to include women’s unpaid work in the family and house- ferent cultures—for example, the varied influence of
hold.The importance of this work, as well as the impor- Islamic understandings of gender in India and sub-
tance of a cheap female labor force, must be taken into Saharan Africa from the eleventh century onwards or the
consideration in any analysis of material life. Chinese military expansion during the Tang and Song
The concept of power must incorporate patriarchal dynasties (618–1279), which spread a strict patriarchal
power structures into class and race analysis, and con- culture to much of East Asia. Chinese-Mongol contacts,
sider the effect of psychological sources of power, such as however, witnessed a reciprocal distaste for gender rela-
an appeal to emotions, to chivalry, and to honor. Politics tions in the other culture and left little influence either
must be considered in a wider context than that of pub- way. Colonial and imperial contacts are the most
lic authorities. Civil society as well as kinship must be explored cross-cultural meetings. Enlightenment world
taken into consideration. historians used gender as a trope for communicating cul-